Acetylene-gas generator



' No. 6l9,8l4. Patented Feb. 2|, I899.

T. F. WILLIAMS. ACETYLENE GAS GENERATDR.

(Application filed July 16, 1898.)

(No M'odeL) ziz6s5as. 252726722271 NITED STATES.

PATENT OFFICE,

THOMAS F. WILLIAMS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

c ETY-LEN E-GAS c ENERATO R.

srncrrrca'rron forming. part of Letters Patent No. '619,814,dated February 21 1899.

"Application filed my 16,1898. seini mtaaooel on, man

use in acetylene gas lamps and in other situations where a slow. and uniform discharge of liquid from a reservoir or other suitable source is desired; and it has ,for its object to provide a valve which will be especially adapted for use in acetylene-gas lamps, although not limited to such use alone. 7

In acetylene-lamps it hasusually been the practice to provide a suitable receptacle for the calcium carbid and a reservoir for the water, which is supplied slowly andcontinu ously while the lamp is operating to the carbid; In lamps of this character, especially in small sizes commonly used for bicycles, the supply of water necessary to generate suflicient gas to maintain the desired light is necessarily small, the water usually being permitted todrop slowly into the carbid-receptacle.

accomplish this, a very fine outlet has been employed, with the result that from the sediment carried in the water and other causes the passage is soon clogged and the supply'of water out off. j

The object of my invention is to'avoid the objection above mentioned; and it consists in providing valve mechanism of improved construction in which means is 'provided for readily clearing the discharge-passage and maintaining a constant uniform supply of water to the carbid-receptacle. Iaccomplish this object as hereinafterspecified and as illustrated in the drawing.

That which I regard as new 'ill be set forth in the claims. l

Referring to the accompanying drawing, in which the figure is aside elevation of a bicycle-lamp, the water and carbid receptacles,

with the valve mechanism, being in section, 1 indicates the lamp, 2 the outer casing of the carbid-receptacle 3, and 4 the water-receptacle, which, as shown, is located above the carbid-receptacle back of the lamp.

5 indicates a valve-tube which in the construction herein shown extends verticallythrough the water-reservoir and projects into the carbid-receptacle, having an outlet or, nozzle 6. The valve-tube 5. communicates with the interior of the water-reservoir by means of a tube 7, whichiisprovided with a valve 8, by which it may beopened and closed.

Inthe construction shown the valve-f8 extends upward through the top of the waterreservoir, so that it may be readily operated. The outlet of the valve-tube 5 is almost completely closed by the lower end of a. rod 9, which. is arranged in the tube'5 and extends through the upper end thereof, as illustrated in the drawing.

ameter of the outlet 6, so that water is permitted to pass slowly through such outlet and drop into the carbid-receptacle at the proper rate. As hereinbefore stated, however, after The lower end of the rod 9 is slightly less in diameter than the internal dithe lamp has operated for a time, the outletpassage becomes, clogged, so as to interfere with the passage of the water. To clear the discharge-passage, the rod 9 is made movable longitudinally of the discharge-passage, so that the fine particles of solid matter which .c'log the passage may be broken loose and the Y passageof water restored. The movement of the rod 9 is efiiected simply by downward pressure, the rod being restored to its normal or upper position bya spring 10, which bears against a collar'll, carried by, the rod 9, and

against auinternal annular flange 12, 'arran'ged'in the valve-tube 5.

When the outlet-passage from the valvetube 5 has become clogged, so asto-interfere with the proper generation of gas to such an extentv as to make it noticeable, it is desirmay be supplied at once, so that gas may be generated rapidly until the normal condition 7 of things has been restored, and to thisend means is provided for temporarily enlarging 'the water-passage when the rod 9 is moved fto clear the passage, such means in the construction herein shown consisting of a depression or'recess 13 in the rod 9, near the lower end thereof, by which the area in crosssection of the rod at that point is reduced, affording a larger channel for the passageof the water when the rod is'depressed. When, however. the rod 9 returns to its normal po- 974. able that an extraordinary amount of water sition, the depressed portion of the rod nes above the discharge-passage, so that the ordinary feed is maintained.

It will be understood that various modifications of my improvements may be made, and I therefore do not restrict myself to the specific details of theconstruction shown and described. Neither do I limit my improvements to use with acetylene-lamps, as they may be employed in any other situation to.

which they are adapted.

That which I claim as my-invention, and desire to secure'by Letters Patent, is-

1. In alamp, the combination with a liquidreservoir, of a valve-tube having an outletpassage for the discharge of liquid therefrom, an inlet from said reservoir to said tube,a

.valve controlling-said inlet, a rod in and almost entirely closing the outlet of said valvetube, said rod being movable longitudinally, and a'spring for returning said rod to its normal position, substantially as described.

2. Ina lamp, the combination wit-ha liqnidthe water drips from the end of the rod, sub-.

.stantially as. described.

3. In a lamp, a holder for calcium sense or similar material, an outer casing from which the carbid-holder is separable, a water-holding vessel at a higher elevation, a tube leading from the-casing and rising higher than the water-level, and a movable rodtherein for freeing the tube from obstruction, and a valve to admit water into the tube, substantially as specified.

' THOMAS F.- WILLIAMS;

Witnesses:

JonN L. JACKSON, HOLMES A. TILDEN. 

